I rarely have an opportunity to mix my day job with my musical life but recently did with this new song, "Steelhead Run". I like to write songs about moments that move me in some way. As a watershed planner working to restore ecosystems from a watershed perspective, I've worked on endangered steelhead trout restoration projects for over a decade. Mary Larson, a mentor and leader in the steelhead recovery program, told me I should …Read more

by Wendy Katagi

Released 2013

Released 2013

Enter into a peaceful snow-filled world of beauty, nature, winter's lullabies, and the hope that Christmas brings as your heart soars with the artist's pure vocals and Grammy-nominated jazz arranger's original piano and guitar stellar musings.

Wendy Katagi is a songwriter who loves singing about her love for God, family, nature, and Christmas. She has produced two albums with Grammy-nominated jazz pianist and arranger, Tom Zink, "Rise in Hope Again" (released in 2011) and now "Spirit of Christmas" (2013). Wendy studied piano and voice both privately and while attending UC Irvine. She is from a musical family. Her mother sings and teaches ukelele and leads the "Ukelele Jammers" at church. Her father does …Read more

Story

I rarely have an opportunity to mix my day job with my musical life but recently did with this new song, "Steelhead Run". I like to write songs about moments that move me in some way. As a watershed planner working to restore ecosystems from a watershed perspective, I've worked on endangered steelhead trout restoration projects for over a decade. Mary Larson, a mentor and leader in the steelhead recovery program, told me I should write a song about steelhead, so here it is. I love how the song mimics the movements of steelhead overcoming obstacles from the headwaters to the oceans and back up to the mountains on their migratory journey. We endeavor to bring down the barriers and other limiting factors so that steelhead can once again return to their native streams. The time is now. We can make a change. Special thanks to incredibly gifted and kind Tom Zink (Grammy-nominated) who produced, edited, recorded, mixed, and mastered the single. So many thanks and kudos to Tom on piano and percussion, Bob Moore (Disney artist) on guitar, and Grammy-nominated Suemy Gonzalez on violin creating this soulful song of the steelhead. Thanks to Mary Larson, John O'Brien, George Sutherland, Drew Irby, Ted Johnson, Tim Brick, Lewis MacAdams, Mark Capelli, Kerwin Russell, Sandi Jacobson, Stillwater Sciences, and many other champions of steelhead recovery. What's good for the fish is good for people!